23/06/2026
I've thought often about how to word this very thing, but now I'll just share this from EDGE of the Outback which clearly explains it...
I’m going to say this bluntly, because it needs to be said.
There are a lot of so-called “professional shooters” and pest control businesses popping up across social media at the moment.
A thermal scope, a page, a flashy AI-generated logo and the words “fully insured” do not automatically make someone a professional operator.
If you are a landowner, farmer or property manager engaging someone to conduct shooting, pest control or paid animal control work on your property, please do your own checks.
Ask for their insurance documents.
Not just a comment saying “yeah mate, I’m insured.”
Ask to see what they are actually insured for.
There is a very big difference between recreational hunting insurance and professional business insurance that covers paid shooting, pest control services, property access, public liability and the actual work being carried out.
Being a member of a shooting organisation, or holding recreational cover, does not automatically mean someone is insured to operate as a business on your property.
That distinction matters.
I’m also seeing a few of these “professional” pages offering free services for winter, or free pest control to help out landowners.
Let’s be honest about what a lot of that actually is.
That is often just a hunting access grab dressed up under the guise of an operational business.
If someone is genuinely running a professional service, there are costs behind that. Insurance, vehicles, fuel, equipment, ammunition, maintenance, compliance, administration, time, reporting and follow-up. None of that disappears because it is winter.
There is nothing wrong with recreational hunters helping landowners when it is done honestly and with permission.
But there is a very big difference between saying “I’m looking for hunting access” and presenting yourself as a professional pest control business when the structure, insurance and follow-through are not actually there.
Because if something goes wrong, it will not be the Facebook banner, the thermal scope or the big claims online that matter. It will be the paperwork, the licence conditions, the insurance cover, the risk management, the conduct on the ground and the professionalism before, during and after the job.
Professional shooting and pest control is not just turning up at night and pulling a trigger.
It is communication.
It is property risk management.
It is safe access.
It is livestock awareness.
It is knowing what is beyond the target.
It is follow-up.
It is records.
It is compliance.
It is having the correct insurance and business structure behind the service being offered.
There are plenty of good, capable and ethical shooters out there. This is not a shot at them.
But there is a growing number of people presenting themselves as professional operators when the only professional thing about the setup is the page.
That is a concern for landowners, and it is a concern for those of us who actually operate properly in this space.
So before engaging anyone, ask the uncomfortable questions.
Are they licensed for the work?
Are they insured for paid or commercial shooting activities?
Can they provide a certificate of currency?
Does their insurance actually match the service they are advertising?
Are they operating as a legitimate business, or just dressing up recreational hunting as one?
If they are offering it all for free, why?
Do not assume.
Validate it for yourself.
Because professional operators should have no issue providing professional answers.
